Friendly’s CEO visits Raynham location to mark store's "re-opening"

It’s back to basics for the Massachusetts-based Friendly’s.

As the entire restaurant and ice cream chain works to reposition its brand for future success, the Friendly’s location in Raynham held a celebration on Monday morning to mark its fresh new look and renewed focus on the good food in a happy, family atmosphere that first made it a local favorite.

As the entire restaurant and ice cream chain works to reposition its brand for future success, the Friendly’s location in Raynham held a celebration on Monday morning to mark its fresh new look and renewed focus on the good food in a happy, family atmosphere that first made it a local favorite.

The company’s head executive attended the event, explaining that the revitalization was needed, to remedy company decisions that were “done in haste” during the last 10 to 15 years as a reaction to falling sales.

After three days of construction to refurbish the Raynham Friendly’s, during which the Route 44 location was closed, the restaurant invited children from the Boys & Girls Club of Taunton to come enjoy some massive ice cream cones.

“We’re focusing on our roots, our great ice cream, good people, high quality food and a clean and energizing environment,” said Friendly’s CEO John Maguire, who visited the Raynham restaurant on Route 44 on Monday, in addition to three similar events at other Friendly’s locations.

Maguire, who was chief operating officer for Panera Bread for the last 19 years before becoming chief executive officer for Friendly’s in 2012, said that in the last 15 years the ice cream and restaurant chain strayed away from what made it famous: The warm, friendly service, and the classic, tasty food. Maguire said some of Friendly’s previous decisions to cut cost, and therefore lessen quality, came back to bite the company. But now the restaurant chain has learned, he said.

“What’s happened to Friendly’s over the last 10 or 15 years is that unfortunately when sales fall, people react,” said Maguire, standing in the lobby of the restaurant. “Things are done in haste. We got further away from customer expectations, lessoned the quality and got more about cost cutting. … We have been letting them down. We weren’t being friendly.”

The revitalization initiative comes after Friendly’s, which has its headquarters in Wilbraham, went through bankruptcy two years ago, closing 63 stores in October 2011. Friendly’s was originally founded in Springfield in 1935. The company now has 5,700 current employees and a distribution system for its original ice cream sold in 7,500 retail locations.

Taunton, in particular, was hit with the closing of two Friendly’s locations in recent years (one on Winthrop Street, the other on Broadway). Maguire said the closings were a result of a “losing focus” on the part of the company, but also because the buildings may have become old and removed from commercial centers.

“The troubles we went through were a sign of a brand losing focus,” Maguire said. “But also, as a company that is 78 years old, we had a lot of aging buildings that were 50 to 60 years old, and the major trade areas moved away from. “

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The work to revitalize the Raynham store included newly painted walls, updates to the interior design and exterior work. The Raynham store originally opened in 1979, and it is now one of the first stores to go through such a revitalization.

However, much of the work to revitalize the stores was focused on increasing the quality of the product and improving customer service.

Maguire said there is a “latent loyalty” people have for Friendly’s, in the sense they have developed big expectations for the classic meals they grew up eating at the restaurant. The menu will retain its class melt sandwiches, burgers and the “Fishamajig,” while dropping unpopular dishes that don’t fit the Friendly’s theme, like the shrimp stir-fry. Maguire said there will also be new items that fit Friendly’s, like the “Slinky Dog,” which is a nine-inch hot dog.

Also, scoops of ice cream will increase in size by ½ ounce each – in response to consumer demands for bigger portions. And, the “Fribble” milkshake will now be made with the premium hard ice cream in all of Friendly’s 21 flavors, rather than with soft-serve ice cream, Maguire said.

The process also includes the re-training and “re-hiring” of staff at the restaurant. Asked if layoffs were involved, Maguire said no, but that the company made clear it wanted workers “who wanted to be friendly” and “a couple of people at each location can’t make the trip.”

Maguire said all the changes should put Friendly’s in a position to open several new locations in 2014, in addition to one new store added this year.

“We are now repositioning and will be able to open new restaurants,” he said.

The Raynham Friendly’s gave out free sundae cups to guests on Monday morning. The event was also attended by Raynham Selectman Joseph Pacheco, who applauded Friendly’s for investing in its Raynham location.

Friendly’s is also marking the revitalization by donating $1 to the Boys and Girls Club for each ice cream dessert sold at the store through Sunday.